True Love Is Always Complicated
by InsideMyBrain
Summary: Kiku and Elizabeta are angels whose task it is to make humans fall in love. When Kiku gets his first solo mission, Alfred and Arthur, he thinks he can handle it- until he falls in love with Alfred himself! Will he continue with the mission, or pursue his own romance? And can humans really fall in love on their own?
1. Chapter 1

Kiku Honda sits nervously outside his boss' office. His partner, Elizabeta, has been in there for a while.

Finally, the door clicks open and she steps out, her brow furrowed. In one hand, she clutches a file. She nods at Kiku as she leaves, green heels clicking and white wings swishing.

"Kiku. Come in." His boss, Roderich, pokes his head out the door. He walks in cautiously, sitting when he is indicated to do so.

Roderich adjusts his glasses and sighs. Kiku knows how much he hates his job- manager of angels must get tiring, especially with some of the angels that he has to deal with.

"Kiku, we've decided it's time for your first solo mission." He says. Taking two files from a cabinet, he drops them down upon the desk. "Have a look."

Curious, Kiku opens one up. A photo falls out. It's of a grumpy-looking blond with thick eyebrows, captioned, "Arthur Kirkland." The other one holds a photo of a man with dirty blond hair and bright blue eyes.

Kiku is confused.

"Mr. Edelstein, I am confused. Why did you feel this had to be my first solo mission?"

His hands twitch, like they're just itching to play the piano that stands in a corner of the building. Elizabeta listens to him play sometimes, and even Kiku has caught a few bars every once in a while. "It may not seem like it, but this is a difficult mission. We feel it's the perfect mission to test your skills."

Kiku gulps and nods.

"One more thing: This is top secret. No-one is to know about this mission. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

Loud metal music sounds from outside the office just then, and Roderich storms out. "Gilbert! Turn off that horrible music at once!"

Resisting the urge to giggle, Kiku takes the file and walks out to see one of the other angels, Gilbert, dancing and playing broom guitar. "Make me, Roddy!"

Roderich walks over and promptly smashes Gilbert's radio. "Back to work everyone!" He walks back inside his office and slams the door.

A phone starts ringing, and everyone goes back to their respective duties. Except Gilbert, of course.

Gilbert is the angel of music, and that's why Roderich hates him so much. Roderich used to be the angel of music, until around a century ago, when the previous manager was promoted. Roderich took over his job, and they got Gilbert, the epitome of everything Roderich dislikes, to be the replacement.

How did you like my broom solo?" He grins at Elizabeta. It's no secret he has a thing for her.

"It sucked." She deadpans.

His smile falters for a moment, then he shrugs. "Well, I am talented, don't you think?"

"Your only talent is pissing off Roderich, and you know it." Elizabeta shuffles a pile of paper.

"Hello Elizabeta." Kiku greets. "Hello Gilbert." He sits down in his cubicle, beside Elizabeta.

Gilbert runs a hand through his silver hair his red eyes sparkling. "Do you know it was me who made Zayn leave 1D?"

"Yeah. He was the only hot one too." She grumbles. "Do you enjoy making my eternity miserable?"

Kiku feels a tap on his shoulder and turns around. Heracles is leaning back in his office chair, six or seven cats draped over his body.

As angel of animals, Heracles isn't really supposed to have a favourite. That doesn't stop him from owning 216 cats, though.

"Hi Heracles." Kiku pets one of the cats, a calico named Pegasus.

"New mission?" He asks, yawning.

Kiku nods. "Top secret." He clarifies.

"Good luck then." With a swish and a couple meows, Heracles slides away.

Kiku sighs. If this mission is really that difficult, he better get on it. He opens up the handsome American's profile and starts reading.

 _Alfred F. Jones was born in 1996, to parents Alice and Joe. He gas one brother, Matthew, and they both attend Roundview College in Boston. His main group of friends consists of two Italian brothers, Feliciano and Lovino. He can't stand a student named Ivan Braginski. His interests include sports, fast food, and classic rock._

Okay. So your average, red-blooded American guy. What about this other one then?

 _Arthur Kirkland was born in London, England, in 1992. He has three brothers, Allastor, Seamus, and Dylan. He works for a popular law firm in Boston. He has a few co-workers who he likes, but little to no close friends, excepting Francis Bonnefoy, a longtime frenemy._ _His main interests include literature, tea, and embroidery._

Well then. This will be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

Kiku groans, putting his head on the desk. Heracles and Gilbert, even Roderich, they've all left. It's just him and Elizabeta in the office now.

The office is a drab, grey, boring space. Cubicles separated by thin grey walls, black and navy blue office chairs. At each desk, a computer hums. Kiku's has been in action for the past hour, helping to formulate and perfect his plan.

Elizabeta pokes her head out from the adjoining cubicle. "You alright there, Kiku?"

Elizabeta is a beautiful angel, one of the prettiest, in Kiku's opinion. Wide, bright green eyes glimmer like emeralds, sandy brown hair frames her soft face. Today, it's pinned back with an orange flower. Her wingspan is small, and the pure white feathers seem delicate.

With angels, however, you shouldn't let looks fool you. She can fly fast, and she has bigger muscles than Gilbert. Her weapon of choice is a murderous frying pan, and while that might get a chuckle out of enemies, she can kill you with it on the spot.

"Yes. Thank you for asking." Kiku smiles weakly.

"Roderich sure has heaped a lot of work on us." She sighs. "Did he instruct you not to tell anybody?" Kiku nods. "Me too." She turns back to her computer. Kiku follows suit.

The addition of the Internet to Heaven was worth it, back in the seventies, Kiku thinks. Unbeknownst to the humans, they'd put all their digital data so far into the stratosphere that it had even reached Heaven. It was just a simple question of manufacturing the computers, and then they could access all the information they needed. Easy, quick, and definitely worth it.

Kiku decides, screw it, he'll do some more research tomorrow. He packs up his briefcase, bids Elizabeta a quick goodbye, and jumps out the office window.

His wings are stiff, and he plummets a few feet before regaining his senses. He flaps away, the cool wind feeling good against his skin.

He reaches his apartment in no time, a loft at the top floor of a starscraper. Love angels make good money.

Long ago, they say, when Heaven was just a rough sketch of a design, there was only one love angel. His name was cupid, and he was very good at his job. Back then, the only way to get the love vitamin into a victim was by shooting an arrow through their heart. Cupid would have gone on making humans fall in love forever had he not accidentally shot himself with one of his own arrows while looking at a human. He then promptly fell in love with her. When God found out, he transformed him into a human as punishment for the sin. After that, they decided to employ teams of two in several different offices in heaven, to spare one angel all the work.

Kiku unlocks his door and steps in. His apartment is dark, and the shadow he casts over it seems eerie. He flicks on a couple lights and catches a glimpse of himself in the hall mirror.

Shiny black hair, dark brown eyes. They peek back at him in the mirror, contrasting with his milk-white skin. His wings, black as midnight, are extended fully, making him seem larger than he is. He yanks his tie, loosening it, and folds up his wings. All he really wants to do right now is collapse.

 _Arthur and Alfred, Alfred and Arthur._ He muses, taking a plate of fish out of the mini-fridge. _It has a nice ring to it._

Kiku already has half a plan formed. He'll go down to Earth, pose as a college student, and befriend Alfred. The only problem is he doesn't know how to get Arthur in the picture.

He sits down at his kitchen table and wolfs down the fish. New cases always make him hungry.

To make two people fall in love, they need to have the love vitamin in them. The quickest way is to inject it, but it can also be fed to the victim through powder or pills. Once the vitamin is inside, the first person they lay eyes on is who they fall in love with. For that, they will both need to be present when Kiku administers the vitamin.

He finishes his supper, washes his face and brushes his teeth, and undresses. He crawls into bed and is about to fall asleep when he knows what he'll do.

A party. Of course. There are always wild parties, and wild shenanigans at wild parties. It's the perfect setting.

It'll take perhaps three months to befriend Alfred and introduce Arthur. He'll stay for another couple months, to make sure the relationship lasts, then depart.

Everything according to the plan.


	3. Chapter 3

Telephones are ringing. Keyboards are clicking. Kiku is filling out the necessary paperwork to go to Earth.

Angels roam the Earth often. Some of them are love angels, like Kiku. Others are angels of revenge or death, even angels of happiness and guardian angels.

The process of going to Earth is a simple, if tedious one. There's a mandatory background check, a few forms and a waiver to sign, and then you take the potion.

The potion is called _alatus revocare,_ and it allows you to retract your wings. This potion is absolutely essential for the Earth-dwelling angel. It wears off after about a year, as a preventative measure to keep angels for staying for too long. There has been some debate recently, about the effectiveness of the potion(it tends not to work in situations of extreme emotion), but there's no alternative.

Kiku finishes signing the waiver. He needs two more signatures: Roderich's and the potionmaker's.

Roderich's office door is closed. Kiku raises a hand to knock, but stops upon hearing voices.

"Thank you, Roderich." It's Elizabeta. He hears her start to walk to the door.

"Elizabeta? Er, just a moment." Roderich sounds uneasy.

"Wha-" She starts to say, but she's cut off. By... Something.

Silence. And then, "Mr. Edelstein, I have work to attend to."

Kiku jumps out of the way as the door bangs open. Elizabeta's blushing, her eyes glimmering with that look Kiku's seen one too many times. He's unable to keep the knowing smirk off his face as Roderich clears his throat and smoothes down the front of his shirt.

"I just need this form signed, Mr. Edelstein." He picks it up and flicks his purple eyes back and forth, going over the requirements. He signs it and returns it to Kiku.

A shriek draws both their gaze back to the maze of cubicles. Gilbert has snuck up behind Elizabeta and tickled her in that sensitive spot right under her wings. Or maybe some where else.

" _Gilbert stop that at once!_ " Roderich yells. He's annoyed now.

"Mr. Edelstein, I _can_ take care of myself." Elizabeta retorts scathingly, and stomps out of the room.

"Whoa, chill, Liz." Gilbert mutters. "Somebody's cramps are pissing them off."

 _The drama that goes on in this office,_ Kiku thinks.

-oooo-

"So it's _alatus revocare_ you're after, Mr. Honda?" The potionmaker shouts from the back of his shop. The sound of tinkling bottles floats out to where Kiku waits.

"Yes." He gives his reply, then winces as he hears a bottle smash, followed by a cry of, "Damn it!"

"That's the third one I've broken this week." The man grumbles. He's carrying a small blue glass bottle, filled to the top with a smoking white liquid. It has a pearlescent quality about it, and in the candlelight, it almost glows. "Form please."

Kiku passes him the form in exchange for the bottle. He signs it, then looks at Kiku expectantly.

Kiku holds the bottle to his lips and downs the potion in one swallow. It burns going down, and though he's taken this potion a million times, he still gasps.

He shudders, and with a sudden effort, retracts his wings.

He remembers the first time he came down to Earth, how retracting his wings seemed impossible. And how, when he was without them, he felt off-balance and uncentered, any slight breeze swaying him.

A lot has changed since then.

Kiku's almost ready. He exits the shop and slowly- walking takes so much time- makes his way to his apartment. A spare bag is waiting for him; as a love angel, it's wise to keep an extra on hand.

A piece of chalk is all he needs to enter the human world.

There are many different routes to the Earth from Heaven, but the quickest is by far the chalk. It was invented around 1400. Before that time, going to Earth took much longer. Some early methods included being cut up into pieces and tossed into a cauldron(very painful), or being summoned by a human. But one of the angels figured out he could harness his power of inter-dimensional travel and funnel it into an object. Ever since then, the special chalk has been mass-produced.

Kiku picks up a piece from the tray it sits in. On a brick wall, he draws three lines to make a door. It starts to glow, and the brick inside the lines disappears. What's left is a long, dark tunnel that Kiku knows will take him to Earth. He walks in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the wait. It`s just im having a bit of trouble accessing a computer for long enough to actually write. Here you go, hope you enjoy.**

 **And I promise it picks up in the next chapter.**

* * *

"Alright, here are your papers and your schedule," The woman behind the desk says, handing Kiku a few papers. "Your dorm room is number 178."

"Thank you." Kiku says, and leaves the office.

He's at Roundview College, just finishing enrolling as a student. He filled out the application form last night, and got himself in with a bit of hacking. He packed all his belongings in two large cardboard boxes, which he's carrying now.

The college is made up of five big buildings, connected by a field. It has recently rained, and the smell hangs in the air, thick and heavy. While everything else is grey and dismal, the lawn looks green as acid. Kiku tramples it as he walks to the dorms.

The dorms are a long, four-story red brick building on the east side of campus. He enters through a side door and walks down a hallway, counting the numbers on the doors. They're arranged weirdly, in almost a spiral, so it takes him a little while to find the room.

When he does find it, he hesitates before knocking. In truth, he's rather nervous.

He lifts up his hand, about to knock, then the door flies open. It hits him square in the face, sending him, his papers, and his boxes tumbling to the floor.

"WELCOME DUDE! Oh shit, are you okay?"

Kiku's vision is obscured by a paper that has landed on his face. Right in front of his eyes are the words, _Roommate: Alfred F. Jones._

He swipes the paper off his face and the man himself is standing in the doorway.

It's like the picture Kiku has secreted away in his files has come to life. The dirty blond hair, cerulean eyes dancing with excitement. He's wearing jeans and a white sweater. He's taller than Kiku, but his boyish face makes him look young.

"Er, yes. Thank you." He takes the hand Alfred has extended to him and gets up off the ground. "Well, come on in!" He scoops up one of Kiku's boxes and walks in, Kiku following.

The room is decorated garishly, Superman and Green Day posters adorning the walls. The two beds are cheap Ikea furniture, as is the desk in the corner. Alfred's macbook sits on top, sleek and shiny in comparison to Kiku's Windows that's been used a thousand times. Alfred drops Kiku's box on one bed and sits on the other.

"I'm Alfred." He introduces himself.

Kiku needs to resist the urge to say, 'I know'. He'd hacked the college's computer system so he could get a dorm with him.

"Kiku Honda." He replies.

"Great to meet you, bro! I'm so glad I have a roommate. It's an integral part of the college experience, am I right?"

Kiku manages a hum and a nod.

"What major are you?"

"Business." Kiku answers. He knows he has the same as Alfred, having picked it for that very reason.

"Same!" He responds predictably. "Oh, tomorrow I should introduce you to my brother and my friends!"

Alfred's enthusiasm and 100-watt smile are infectious, and Kiku finds himself smirking. "Okay."

Kiku spends the rest of the evening setting up his dorm and making small talk with Alfred. He seems like a pretty nice guy, but he's also loud and a bit obnoxious. Later, when Alfred's gone out, he pulls out his laptop and opens up the word document that holds the plans for his mission.

Everything is written and recorded, planned to the last detail. He scans the document and sighs. He likes to be organized.

Next, he opens his email and taps out a message to Gilbert.

 _Hey Gil. Just got to earth for my latest assignment. Mr. Edelstein says I'm not allowed to tell anyone about this mission, but I will say one thing: It might be harder than I expected. How are things? Is Elizabeta still mad at you? She seems stressed lately. Don't trash my cubicle while I'm gone. Kiku._

With a small smile, Kiku logs off his email and shuts his laptop. By now it's late, and he decides to go to sleep. He'll need his energy tomorrow, that's for sure.

* * *

 **That was short. Sorry about that.**


	5. Chapter 5

Kiku's alarm goes off early, forcing him out of bed to shut off the shrill beeping. His first class of the morning, Communication, starts soon.

He takes his time getting ready, not wanting to start the day. As he's about to leave his dorm, his glance falls upon Alfred, still asleep. His face has wrinkle marks in it from the sheets. Kiku stifles a laugh, then leaves, being careful to shut the door quietly.

As he walks, a strange feeling comes over him. It's not like anything is very odd; he's posed as a college student numerous times. It's just something about this morning feels different. Perhaps it's the feel of the cool, crisp air on his face as he steps out of the building. It could be the feeling of comfort and loneliness that accompanies being in a crowd. Or it could be the satisfaction of sitting at a desk with a laptop and a notebook, ready to learn once more.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Mr. Bullen." The teacher greets the class. He's middle-aged and balding. "In this course you will be learning how to communicate better through your words and actions, as well as through advertising and subconscious means."

As the teacher launches into a speech, Kiku opens his word document entitled _Alfred/Arthur mission._ He's planning to go meet Arthur tomorrow and get a reading on his personality.

He then quickly checks his email and sees Gilbert replied.

 _Hey Kiku! Sucks you can't confide in anyone about your mission, but good luck anyway. Things here are pretty much the same. Liz left like the day after you did. But she was still mad at me, yeah. And no promises about your cubicle, lol! -The Awesome Gilbert_

Kiku sends another email back, then shuts his laptop and tries to pay attention.

The rest of Communication goes by quickly, and so does the rest of the morning. The strange feeling lingers with Kiku, right up until the moment Alfred catches up with him in the hall.

"Yo, Kiku!" Alfred says, coming up behind him.

"Hello, Alfred." Kiku replies.

"Let's go eat. Mattie- that's my brother- he's there already."

 _'_ There' turns out to be a Wendy's not far from the college. As they walk in, Alfred heads straight to a table where three men are already sitting. "Hey, Mattie!"

All three look up. "Hi, Alfred." The one who responds is a little blonder than Alfred, with wavier hair and purple eyes, but Kiku can see the resemblance. The other two resemble each other, and Kiku figures they must be the Italian brothers. One's hair is a dark brown, while the other's has a reddish tint. The darker-haired one looks sour and grouchy while the other positively glows with happiness.

"I'm Kiku." Kiku introduces himself to the group.

"I'm Matthew, and this is Feliciano and Lovino." Matthew gestures to each brother.

The three of them already have food. Matthew's eating a chicken burger and Lovino's working his way through a bowl of tomato soup. "This shit doesn't even taste like tomatoes." He grumbles.

"Let's get some food." Alfred suggests, and he and Kiku get in the long line.

The store is pretty crowded, being the main spot for students at Roundview College to eat. Kiku and Alfred get some food and go back to the table.

"So, what major are you?" Matthew asks, to start a conversation.

"Business." Kiku replies, taking a bite of his sandwich. "What about you?"

"The same." Matthew says.

"I'm an art major!" Feliciano butts in.

"You should see his paintings. They're awesome." Alfred adds.

"My grandpa taught me how to draw when I was a kid." He shrugs it off.

Feliciano's amber eyes flick off to one side, and his smile grows. "Hey look, it's Mr. Carriedo!"

Kiku, Alfred, and Matthew turn around. Lovino groans. "I hate that guy."

"Mr. Carriedo is a handsome young Spaniard, barley older than a college student himself. He's standing in line, obliviously smiling to himself.

"Why don't you like him?" Kiku asks, curious.

Lovino rolls his eyes. "He's my culinary teacher. He's annoying and stupid and way too happy. He just pisses me off, the bastard." While he's been talking his cheeks have been growing pink.

Kiku stares at him for a split second, then shrugs, trying not to smirk. _Sure you hate him._

"Do any of you dislike your teachers?" He asks the rest of them.

"Mr. Zwingli." Matthew says. "He's so grumpy and harsh. I don't think he even knows I'm in his class."

"Okay, not a teacher," Alfred starts, and Matthew and the Vargas brothers groan. "This _guy,_ " He puts contempt on the word, "Ivan Braginski. He's creepy as fuck. _And,_ he's a _communist._ " Alfred says this as though a celebrity had cheated on their partner, or someone ate the last slice of pizza- a scandal, that is. "This one time, I asked him if he writes in all lowercase because he hates capitalism. It was terrifying."

"Okay, Al, that's enough." Matthew rolls his eyes. "Jesus."

The five of them finish their lunch without any more discussions about communism or teachers, and head back to campus. Kiku has Art History with Feliciano, so the two walk to the room together. Kiku's a little awkward about making conversation, but he needn't worry- Feliciano talks a mile a minute. The only time he even pauses to take a breath is to greet a big buff blond guy walking past them.

"Hi Ludwig!"

The man smiles and nods as he goes by.

"Who is he?" Kiku asks.

"Oh, we have a few classes together." Kiku can tell Feliciano is trying to keep his tone light.

 _So,_ He thinks. _Another angel is at work in this school._

-oooo-

Later, Kiku's sitting on his bed, pretending to do some homework. Alfred's slumped in a chair, loudly chewing on a Snickers bar. "Are you sure you don't want one?"

Kiku smiles. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Nothing but the sound of Alfred's chomping fills the air for a few seconds. Then he speaks.

"You know," _chomp smack chew,_ "I don't think my brother likes you."

Kiku looks up. "Really? I didn't notice."

"Yeah," _smack gobble slurp,_ "My brother's pretty careful," _chew chew chomp,_ "About not showing his emotions." Alfred finishes his sentence with a final smacking of the lips and tosses the Snickers bar in the garbage. "I saw him giving you a suspicious look, though."

"Huh." Kiku hums, and goes back to pretending to do homework.

"It's okay though," Alfred says, unwrapping another Snickers, "Nothing against you, he's just like that."

Kiku nods and shuts his laptop.

Be that as it may, it still makes him slightly nervous.

* * *

 **yay, finally giving you a decent size chapter for once! Oh, the 'do you write in all lowercase because you hate capitalism' I saw on a piece of fanart. Next chapter, Kiku meets Arthur. Stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 6

5:00 A.M. It's dark, a sleep aura hangs in the air. Kiku's dressing hurriedly, trying to be quiet. Luckily, Alfred sleeps like a bear, so he has nothing to worry about.

Today is the day he's set aside to go visit Arthur. Of course, he doesn't really need to be up this early. He wants go flying for a bit first, and he doesn't want anyone seeing.

Kiku puts on one of his regular shirts, one with a hole in the back for his wings. The way shirts should be. He puts his laptop and notebook in his briefcase, then quietly slips out.

The early morning is sharply cold, the wind cutting into Kiku's face. The sun is just rising, and the horizon is stained a rosy hue, like the angel who paints the sky accidentally dipped the edge in pink. Kick chuckles; that's exactly what happened.

He walks to the edge of campus before looking around carefully. There's no-one in sight, so he pushes his wings out. They break free and uncoil with a squelch, the juices they're coated with making them sticky. Kiku backs up a few steps, then takes a running leap into the sky.

The wind hits him at full force as he flaps hard. Once he's in the air, he no longer feels cold. It's like when you jump into a swimming pool: your body gets used to the temperature.

As he rises higher and higher, Kiku thinks of how fast the cities are changing. He's been to Boston thousands of times, and each time it's bigger and more polluted. He remembers, only a few short centuries ago, when this land was nothing but forests. How quickly things do change on Earth.

Arthur's home is an apartment downtown. It takes Kiku under five minutes to get there. He floats at Arthur's window, bobbing up and down like a cork in the ocean. From here, he can see right into his bedroom, where he's fast asleep.

Kiku studies the man for a bit. He's frowning in his sleep, and mumbling as well, but Kiku can't hear what he's saying. He seems happy enough. His bedroom is tidy, a glass of water sits on the bedside table.

Kiku jumps when Arthur's cell phone buzzes. He drops a few feet in the air before cautiously returning to the window.

Arthur just murmurs something and reaches out a hand to shut off the buzzing, still half-asleep. Kiku decides it's time he got out of there.

He flaps off and weaves his way through the downtown area, taking in the city. Cities are always so beautiful early morning, when the hustle and bustle haven't started yet. This is Kiku's favourite time of day, when it's quiet and he can let his mind wander.

He's been flying for a while when he finally wonders what time it is. His watch reads 8:00. Arthur must be at the office by now. It just goes to show how fast Kiku can become lost in the magic of flight.

He lands in a deserted area and retracts his wings. He pulls a human shirt out of his briefcase and quickly changes, then casually walks out and heads to Arthur's office.

It's nothing unusual, your average law office: busy, crowded, plainly furnished. A group of interns gets in the elevator with him. "Going up?" One of them asks, holding the door open, and Kiku enters.

The elevator travels until it reaches the eighth floor- the floor Kiku is going to. He exits the elevator with the interns and follows them around the corner.

"Are you with us?" The same intern that held the door for him asks, seeming a bit confused.

"Oh, right." Kiku lies, his tongue forming a story if its own accord. "I decided to switch programs only yesterday, and I guess they hurriedly placed me with this group because I didn't get an I.D. tag or anything. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier. I'm Kiku."

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Tino." Tino has bright blond hair and big brown eyes that twinkle. He has a slight frame and is a bit taller than Kiku.

"What's going on here?" A British accent questions, and Kiku spins around. Arthur is standing behind the group of interns milling about, wearing a brown suit and a frown.

"We all have to go now." Tino sighs. "They assign us to a different lawyer every few days, just to see what everyone does here." Kiku nods. This could be useful.

A tall blond guy with blue-green eyes and glasses starts reading names off a clipboard. Obviously, Kiku isn't called. "And you're with me again, Tino." He finishes in a monotone voice.

Tino's face brightens. "See you around then, Kiku." Him and all the others go off with the lawyers they're assigned to. Soon it's just Kiku.

"Hey," Arthur says, and he turns around again. "Did they miss you, or something?"

He tells his story to the Brit and waits. Arthur sighs, then says, "Alright. You'll come with me today. But make sure they sort everything out tomorrow."

 _Perfect,_ Kiku thinks.

Arthur leads Kiku across a maze of cubicles until he gets to a wooden door. "I have a client inside, so you can just sit in and take notes." Kiku takes out his notebook and pen.

"Hello, Ms. Arlovskaya. Sorry to keep you waiting." Arthur smiled and takes a seat across from the busty woman. They start talking about whatever her legal issues are, and Kiku takes notes.

Of course, not on the legal procedure. Notes on Arthur. Body language aand the way you speak can tell a lot about a person. By the way he sits up straight, talks with confidence, and listens to the woman's case attentively, Kiku can tell he loves his job. From his roving eyes and tapping fingers, however, he can tell Arthur is also preoccupied with something. In addition, he has a habit of twitching his right eyebrow when he's confused. All this Kiku jots down eagerly.

The meeting with the client doesn't take too long, and in no time she's out of there. "I see you took lots of notes." Arthur comments, luckily not seeing the actual content of them. "I can tell you're a hardworking fellow."

Kiku answers in the affirmative. "Well, I better get started on some of this paperwork." Arthur sighs. "We've got deadlines to meet." He pulls out a folder from the drawer of a desk. "Do you mind getting me a cup of tea? There's a hot water machine down the hall. English breakfast, two sugars, no cream." Kiku takes note of that.

-oooo-

It's 6:30 P.M., and Arthur's getting ready to go home. So is Kiku.

"I suppose I'll be seeing you, then." Arthur mentions. "It's too bad I don't take interns every day, you were very helpful."

"Thank you." Kiku once had to pretend to be an experienced lawyer to get close to a love-hardened judge, so he has knowledge in this field.

Just then, there's a knock on Arthur's office door. He goes to answer it, and Kiku hears, "Oh, go home, Bonnefoy!"

"Quoi? Qu'est-ce c'est?" The person at the door says, sounding offended.

"Speak English, you twat. French is a dead language anyway."

"It is not! French is far superior to that gibberish you Brits call a language."

"What did you come here for, anyway? I thought you vowed to never come back since that secretary rejected you."

"L'amour works in mysterious ways, mon ami."

"I am not your _ami._ I am going home, and if you follow me, I swear to God they'll never find your body."

And with that, Arthur shoves past the man and exits the office. Shuffling by on his way out, Kiku takes a look at him. This can only be Francis Bonnefoy, Arthur's frenemy since childhood. He's blond and elegant-looking, the archetype of a romantic French gentleman. He tips his hat at Kiku as he passes.

It's rush hour, and the streets are packed, so Kiku can't risk flying back to the college. Instead, he takes the subway back.

"Hey, Kiku! Where were you all day?" Alfred greets as he walks into the dorm.

"I had some things to do." Kiku replies shortly. He's tired from the long day at Arthur's law office; he's forgotten how stressful it can get in those places. Alfred shrugs and flips a few pages in his textbook.

Phase two is complete.

* * *

 **Lame ending, I know, but** **¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯ Also idk anything about being an intern so I just made it up.**


	7. Chapter 7

Kiku sighs. He's in his business class with Alfred, and he's about to fall asleep. Not that the class is boring- in fact, he loves college. Kiku simply feels like he's wasting his time. It's been two weeks since he spent the day at Arthur's law firm, and he's done nothing since then. Of course, it's been nice to have a few weeks off, but he feels a little uncomfortable doing nothing.

"Kiku!"

Kiku turns around. Alfred grins at him from the back of the room. "You okay, dude?"

"I'm fine." He answers, then turns back to the front.

Living with Alfred has taken its toll on him, for sure. Every other day, he'd come to the dorm room with some new wild idea. "Let's marathon horror movies all night!" Or, "I'm hungry, let's break into my brother's dorm and steal his frozen steaks!" Not to mention the fact he randomly bursts into song or starts dancing to television jingles. Living with an extrovert is a little difficult when you're an introvert.

All that said, however, he's had fun. It was, admittedly, a little exciting to be breaking into someone's dorm, even if it was just to steal steaks. And Matthew's confusion at the disappearance of his steaks was hilarious. The horror movie night was hours of Alfred screaming at every little jumpscare, which was pretty funny but gave him a headache. Every dumb idea gave him occasion to laugh until his sides hurt, which he hadn't done since Gilbert convinced Roderich that pianos were going to be banned.

"Any questions about this assignment?" The teacher asks.

A girl puts her hand up. "Are we handing this in online?"

"No, on paper." Kiku takes note of that, and the class is dismissed.

"Hey, Keeks," Alfred says as they leave, using a ridiculous nickname, "Have you heard about the party?"

Kiku pricks his ears up. This could be the opportunity he's been waiting for. "No, I didn't."

"Yeah, well there's gonna be a big party on the weekend. Practically everyone's gonna be there." Alfred's blue eyes sparkle with exitement. "You're gonna come, right?"

"Well, I guess if you're going, you're going to drag me along." Kiku smirks.

"Damn right I will!" He laughs. The pair weaves their way through the hallways and leaves the building. The lawn outside is devoid of people, it being a wet and cold October day. They reach their dorm and Alfred flops on his bed.

"Of course, the party's not going to get crazy out of control. Probably. Maybe. Anyway, I'm bringing a cake." Alfred rolls off his bed and crawls over to the mini fridge. Kiku doesn't understand how a single person can be that lazy.

Once he's dragged himself over to the fridge and opens the door, he pulls out a neon pink object encased in a shiny plastic dome.

"What is that?" Kiku asks, leaning in for a closer look. It looks like wax dripped off a pink candle, making a pink lump that was coated in a layer of plastic wrap, and placed under a plastic dome for good measure.

"It's a cake!" Alfred replies, looking at Kiku like he's crazy. Kiku returns the look.

"That is not a cake. I don't think that thing is edible."

"'Course it's eatable, bro!" Alfred says. "It doesn't look rotten, does it?"

 _That's not exactly what I meant..._ Kiku thinks as he watches Alfred inspect the lump for mold spots.

Even if Alfred is willing to poison himself and everyone else at the party, Kiku has an idea. He pulls out his laptop.

"Where is this party?" He inquires, typing furiously.

"Oh, just at someone's house. 42 Willow Lane, I think."

"And what time?"

"Uh, I think you can show up any time after eight."

Kiku types all this information into an email from one of his numerous fake accounts.

 _Get-together at my place this weekend,_ It reads. _42 Willow Lane, Saturday at 9:00. Hope to see you there! P.S.: There's free tea._ A little bribery never hurts.

Kiku types in Arthur's email address, which he gleaned from snooping around Arthur's office, then presses send.

-oooo-

In the days leading up to the party, a knot the size of a bowling ball gradually settles in Kiku's stomach. He tells himself everything will be fine, but somewhere, he doesn't believe that.

Arthur already replied to his email, asking, _who is this?_ But Kiku didn't respond. Several times, he wrote a draft, only to delete it in frustration. He will have to rely on luck and faith for Arthur to show.

The anxiety of Arthur showing up or not makes up only fifty percent of the knot. The other fifty is a different feeling, more like several different feelings. He can't determine exactly what they are, but he can detect jealousy, anger, and confusion gnawing at him.

But that part of the knot he would prefer not to think about.

 _Relax,_ He tells himself, listening to Alfred sing in the shower on Saturday. _There's no reason for things to go wrong._

Kiku banishes his nervous thoughts for the moment, trying to concentrate on what's around him. However, the only thing that gets through to him is the rather screechy sound of Alfred singing. He can't place the song, but he can tell it's going to be stuck in his head all night- and in Alfred's terrible voice as well. Lovely.

His roommate emerges from the bathroom, steam billowing out behind him. He has a blue towel wrapped around his waist.

"All yours, bro." He says, gesturing to the bathroom. Reddening slightly, Kiku goes into the steamy room to brush his teeth.

Once he's finished, and Alfred has dressed, the two leave the dorms. Alfred has his waxy cake under his arm and a smile on his face. The cold air chills Kiku's face, turning his ears red. It's a short walk from campus to the party, which, at 9:00, is buzzing with activity. Matthew and the Vargas brothers are milling around outside.

"Thought you'd never come." Matthew remarks as Alfred and Kiku approach the trio.

"What are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" With a shout of laughter, Alfred grabs Matthew with one hand and Kiku with the other. He drags them up the front steps and into the house, Feliciano and Lovino following.

Once inside, everyone disperses. Feliciano goes off to find Ludwig, Lovino reluctantly tagging along. Matthew disappears into the crowd. Alfred drops his cake off, then pours himself and Kiku a drink.

Most of the evening consists of Alfred socializing with people Kiku's never seen before while he sips his drink. A bored-looking young man named Lukas, a slightly disgruntled man with brown hair in a side ponytail, and a cheerful girl named Michelle are among the ones Kiku remembers. Kiku's lost track of time when he looks up and sees Arthur standing in the doorway, with a slightly perplexed look on his face.

Kiku puts down his drink, excuses himself, and slips away.

Weaving in between the groups of people talking, laughing, and drinking, he makes his way to Arthur. He manages to creep around behind him without being spotted. He reaches out, and with one strong shove, pushes him into the busiest part of the party.

Arthur's swears, trying to get out of the crowd, but Kiku pushes him again. Now even deeper in, he spins around. Kiku ducks behind a group of people twerking. "What the actual fuck is-" Arthur tries to say, but Kiku knocks him once more and he stumbles off the dance floor.

"Bloody hell!" He mutters, looking around. Not two feet away, there's Alfred.

Kiku's been so wrapped up in making sure Arthur doesn't see him that he hasn't noticed what Alfred's doing. Then he hears drunken yelling, and looks up.

Alfred is in the middle of a circle of people, shouting at a tall man. Kiku's stomach contracts when he recognizes him as Ivan. Alfred barely reaches the Russian's shoulder, but he pokes him in the chest and cries, "I will _fight_ you, Braginski!"

Kiku has a dilemma. Ivan is much stronger than Alfred, and if they were to fight, Alfred would lose. Kiku has no desire to watch him get beat up, and it doesn't look like anyone else is going to interfere. But if he plays peacekeeper, Arthur will see him and become suspicious. He chews his lip, watching Alfred ball his hands into fists.

Then, Alfred decides to make Kiku's decision for him and promptly vomits. It hits the ground with a sickening squelch and splashes up, right onto Arthur.

Arthur looks down at himself, Alfred's stomach juices and bits of inedible neon food all over his clothes. He leaves in disgust.

Kiku knows it's futile to pursue him, so he goes over to Alfred.

"I think it's time to go." He mumbles to Alfred. He doesn't resist when Kiku leads him through the crowd and out the door. _How much did you have to drink?_ He wonders, shaking his head.

Now he feels guilty for zoning out. Not that Alfred's intoxication was his responsibility. Still, he feels he could have prevented it somehow.

It's a longer walk back to the dorm than it was to the party, and it seems colder too. Halfway there, Alfred sags. "I'm tired, Keeks." He breathes. As soon as they get there, he curls up on his bed and is out in seconds.


	8. Chapter 8

Sunlight is streaming through the window of the dorm. Alfred is asleep. Kiku sits on his bed, watching him.

Kiku feels a slight sense of shame for the events of last night. He failed in performing his duties. He failed Roderich, failed- dare he think it- God himself. Yet he's not as ashamed as he thinks he ought to be.

He feels more ashamed of the fact he's not ashamed. Part of him was actually glad Arthur mightn't show up to the party. Part of him, the fifty percent of the knot that was undetermined, knew it.

Kiku presses his lips together and takes a deep breath through his nose. Perhaps it's because he's been having so much fun, but he dreads the thought of going back to Heaven. Something about these weeks made them seem like eternity.

Suddenly, Alfred's eyes flutter open, and he groans. "The sun..." He rolls over and buries his face in a pillow.

Kiku grins. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey."

"More like eggs and death." Alfred's muffled voice comes. Kiku laughs.

"I brought you water." The glass has been sitting on the bedside table for so long, it's surely warm by now.

"Thanks..." Alfred croaks. He lifts his face from the pillow long enough to gulp it down, then returns his head to its original position.

"I'm dying." He says matter-of-factly. "No, scratch that, I'm already dead. I'm in hell."

"Are you always this dramatic when you're hungover?"

Alfred ignores the question. "Last night. Mistakes." He rolls over, clutching his head. "Those 2 A.M. decisions always have shaky landings." He looks at Kiku. "What time is it?"

Kiku glances at his watch. "12:34."

Alfred sighs again. "Oh, God. You know, I never said thanks."

"For what?"

"For dragging me out of there. I'd probably kill myself."

"This is your third time mentioning death since you woke up. Your hangover must be awful."

Alfred snorted, then winced. "It is, but Ivan might have legitimately killed me. So, thanks."

Kiku opens his mouth to politely accept his thanks, then closes it again. He's just had an idea.

"Well, I didn't stop the fight. You did, by puking everywhere."

"Oh, that's what that taste is. I was wondering." Alfred opens and closes his mouth a few times.

"You barfed on some guy, too." Kiku manages a chuckle. "He seemed pretty pissed."

"Shit, I didn't mean to. Was he from Roundview?"

"I don't think so. Maybe you should call him and apologize, though." Kiku crosses his fingers behind his back.

"Do you know him?"

"Only his name. Arthur Kirkland." Kiku holds his breath as Alfred pulls out his phone, turns down the brightness, and googles the name. With a little snooping, the number comes up. Alfred dials it.

"Hi, is this Arthur?" He asks, when it stops ringing. "My name is Alfred. I, uh, puked on you last night. Hey! Wait, don't hang up. I just wanted to apologize." There's a moment of silence. "Oh, yeah, sure. Okay. Well, uh, goodbye now."

Kiku waits in suspense while Alfred flops back down on the bed. "That exhausted me."

"What did he say?" Kiku presses, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"He said it was 'unusually courteous', that I seemed like 'an alright sort of man', and that 'perhaps we should get to know each other'. We're meeting for coffee tomorrow."

"Oh." Kiku replies. He's trying to keep his voice light, afraid some of his jubilation will seep in. "That's nice." He gets up off the bed in slow motion. He just needs to make it outside, that's all.

Halfway to the door, Alfred squints at him. "Where you going?"

"For a walk. You stay here and recover." With that, Kiku practically jumps out the door.

Once he's out, he breathes a sigh of relief. He's saved the mission. Tomorrow, he'll administer the vitamin.

A laugh bubbles up out of his throat and bursts in the air. He feels like dancing. However, he keeps it contained to a wide grin as he leaves campus.

A ten-minute walk is enough time to calm himself down. He's not even aware of where he's going, letting his feet do the work. He practically skips along, until a sudden sight makes him stop in his tracks.

Across the street from him is a local cafe. It's probably the most hipster place he's seen in a while. Sitting on the small sidewalk patio, sipping coffee and looking at a notebook, is Elizabeta.

As Kiku stops to watch her, she frowns at a page in her notebook, crosses something out, and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. It's obvious she's hard at work on a mission.

Normally, she would be a welcome sight. But suddenly, he remembers Roderich's words: _No-one is to know about this mission._

Well, if neither of them were permitted to talk about their separate missions, why were they assigned to the same city?

It all seems a bit fishy to Kiku, but it isn't his place to question it. He watches her for a moment more before turning back to the college.

Knowing Alfred, he'd be whining for Kiku to get him an aspirin or something the second he got in the door. _That idiot._ He thinks to himself, chortling.

* * *

 **Short chapter today :/**


	9. Chapter 9

It's Monday morning. The sounds of conversation swell and recede around Kiku. He's loitering around the college library, waiting for Alfred to pass by. He knows Alfred is skipping his psychology class to meet Arthur, so he's going to spy on them.

Alfred passes by just then, walking quickly. Kiku lets a few moments pass before casually sauntering after him.

Kiku is nervous about Alfred spotting him, because how would he be able to explain himself? However, trailing Alfred is quite easy. He walks at a good pace, never glancing around. He whistles, keeping his hands in his pockets. He sticks to the main streets, where it's easier to blend in.

Eventually, Alfred leads him to the same cafe where Elizabeta sat the day before. For some reason, this makes him slightly uncomfortable.

Alfred enters. Kiku sees him through the window, sitting down across from Arthur. He says something and laughs.

Kiku stands there for a moment, watching the ccafe. Then, he slips into an alley and goes around to the back of the cafe. He sneaks in through a back door.

The room he finds himself in is a storage room. Sacks of coffee beans are piled in a corner, along with crates of tea, bags of flour and sugar, boxes of eggs and a monster bottle of vanilla extract. The room is fragrant with a delicious scent. There's a pair of swinging doors at one end. He pushes them open slightly.

In the next room, coffee is brewing. Cakes are baking. People are talking, laughing. Beyond the glass countertops, which display intricately iced cupcakes, are the customers. Including Alfred and Arthur.

Kiku can see them, making polite conversation. Mugs steam in front of them, and Arthur's nibbling on a scone.

He pulls out a bottle of pills and removes two. He looks at them in his sweaty palm. They glisten in the cafe's lights.

Now, how to get the two to ingest the pills?

Kiku's quite a distance from them, so throwing the pills into their drinks won't work. Besides, he won't risk them falling into someone else's drink. He can't get any closer to them without one of the two noticing him, and that would be a disaster. He briefly thinks of disguising himself in some way, but he doesn't have the materials to do it.

Kiku sighs. He's just thought of an idea, but there's a 70% chance he'll get caught.

 _I'm insane,_ he thinks as he drops to his stomach and begins to crawl under the tables. He accidentally nudges a woman's foot as he passes under her table, starting an argument with the man across from her. Somebody spills a few drops of coffee near him, but he avoids it. He makes his way across the room to Alfred and Arthur's table.

"Coffee is way better than tea!" Alfred is saying. "Nobody actually invented tea. Tea is like they found a leaf in a puddle and they just drank it. Like how delicious. But coffee they actually had to think about. Coffee is like but what if we grind up the beans? See, tea was an accident. Coffee required intelligence."

"Tea has a much more rich history, though." Arthur starts to counter, then is interrupted by his cell phone ringing. "Sorry, I have to take this. It's for work."

Arthur turns away from the table, speaking quietly into the phone. Alfred takes out his own and starts playing a game.

With the two distracted, it's time. Kiku opens his fist and sees the two white pills. Then he steels his resolve.

Kiku holds his breath as he reaches an arm up and drops a pill each into their drinks.

Then he scrambles away, army-crawling to the back of the shop as quickly as he can. When he reaches the doors to the storage room, he stands up.

He sees Arthur end the phone call and turn back to Alfred. They take a sip of their drinks and resume their conversation.

Kiku takes a deep breath. He's done it. They've taken the pills, they're in love. He's saved the mission. He sticks his hands in his pockets, grinning. The bottle of pills rattles as his hand bumps it. He closes his fist around the bottle and draws it out, still smiling.

 _Extra strength Advil,_ the blue label proclaims.

 _Oh, fuck._

He took the wrong pills!

Kiku thinks back to the morning, when he was rushing around to get ready. He remembers taking the bottle of pills out of his bag and placing it on the bedside table, right next to the headache pills. He must have grabbed the wrong bottle in his haste to leave.

Kiku watches from the back room as Alfred and Arthur stand up and shake hands before parting amicably.

Kiku's not one to swear, not even under his breath after stubbing a toe. Now, he does so shamelessly, letting out a string of profanity as he exits the shop.

Emerging upon the street, he spots Arthur leaving and decides to trail him home, if for nothing else to do. He walks after the Englishman, still internally cursing himself out for his blunder.

 _How could I be so stupid?_ He thinks angrily. _This was my one shot, and I blew it. If I don't get another one, the whole mission is ruined. And then what'll happen to me? They don't tolerate screwing up in heaven._

Kiku continues to mentally panic as he follows Arthur through the streets.

 _I can't believe I did that, I'm so dumb. This is the worst thing that ever- what the hell?_

For the second time in two days, he stops at the sight of a specific person. Or, rather, angel.

Elizabeta doesn't appear to see him as she trails Arthur into the subway. Kiku stares after her, feeling dazed.

He then turns around to go back to the dorms.

-oooo-

Kiku sits on his bed, his laptop open. The cursor is blinking on a blank email. Alfred's at a class, so he has the whole room to himself.

As soon as he got home from the cafe, he collapsed on his bed. Seeing the correct bottle of pills on the dresser angered him, and he flung it across the room. He proceeded to anxiously pace around the room for five minutes.

Now, he looks at the screen of his laptop. _New message._ The recipient? _awesomegilbert ._ Kiku taps his fingers against the keyboard, typing nonsense. He deletes it and takes a deep breath. He begins to write.

 _Hey Gil. Turns out Roderich was right about this mission- it is hard. But I'm just wondering what Elizabeta's mission is. I don't suppose she told you anything. No matter. I saw her earlier today, and it just seems odd they would to the same city, or even the same people, without telling us. Anyway, could you email me back as soon as you get this? -Kiku_

He clicks send. To his surprise, he gets a response right away.

 _Damn, Kiku. I agree with you, something's definitely up. Why would they give you two the same mission but have you work on it separately? Gotta say though, seeing you freak out in the store was a once in a lifetime opportunity. -Gilbert P.S.: Do you happen to know if Alfred's cute brother is single?_

Kiku reads the email, his confusion and annoyance growing. He replies.

 _Are you watching me? -Kiku_

 _Through the handy crystal ball I stole from Roddy's office. -Gilbert_

Kiku rolls his eyes.

 _You're going to get in serious trouble one of these days. And no, I do not know Matthew's relationship status. Don't tell me you're planning to come down here just to prey on an innocent human. -Kiku_

 _I'm not going to prey on him!_ Kiku can practically hear the sleazy smirk oozing out of the words. _I'm just going to have a little fun. -Gilbert_

 _Spare me the details. -Kiku_

With that, Kiku closes his laptop and flops back onto the bed, sinking his head into a cushion. Why does this have to happen to him?

* * *

 **I couldn't help putting in a lil bit of prucan :P also, this might be the last update for a while, since I've resolved to finish, or at least start working on some of my other stories. So before I continue this one, or start any new ones, I gotta start working on my others. If any of you guys play Animal Crossing you can check out my fics Turnips and Not Dead Yet. Until next time~**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: sorry for the long wait. I've had the chapter written up for a while, and I probably should've posted it before, but I wanted to get a few other fanfics out of the way first... Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Everything is still and silent. The dorms lie cloaked in darkness. Behind every door, bodies breathe peacefully under layers of blankets. Every door but one.

Kiku sits up for the fifth time that night with a loud sigh. No matter what he tries, he can't seem to fall asleep.

For days he's been plagued with a faint sense of uneasiness. Not surprisingly, it started when he saw Elizabeta following Arthur. Since then, he's been stressed and nervous for no apparent reason. The only cure seems to be time spent with Alfred. The man's outgoing nature and boisterous laugh put Kiku at ease.

He throws back the covers and stands up. Maybe a bit of flying will make him sleepier.

Kiku changes his shirt and sneaks out. Standing under the moon and stars, he lets his wings pop out. He takes off.

Flying at night is one of the things Kiku enjoys the most. Observing the earth from above, when everything is quiet.

Everything seems so simple and faraway when he's up here. The commotion and stress of life fall away with the wind. He feels the cool caress of the midnight air. His cheeks fill with colour and crinkle from smiling. His deep brown eyes reflect the stars.

Kiku's mind goes through different topics, flicking through them like a fish. He thinks consciously, sentences forming in his brain rather than thoughts occurring. He finds his train of thought drifting to Elizabeta.

 _I wonder how things are between her and Roderich._ He muses to himself. _She clearly loves him. The day I left, I'm fairly certain they kissed. I hope everything works out for them._

 _It's strange how we could be on the same mission. Perhaps it's some test we have to take before advancing, and it must be done alone. Yes, that might be it._

 _Maybe it's a big test, and angels from all over are assigned to this area. There's the obvious signs of the vitamin being administered to the Vargas brothers, but it is only a question of whether their respective partners have been given a dose as well. Whoever has the assignment, I'd like to meet this angel._

 _Speaking- thinking- of assignments, I really need to knuckle down and finish mine._ A frown crosses Kiku's face as he thinks this. _I'm not quite sure why, but it repulses me to think of this mission._

 _That was a lie. I know why I don't want to go through with this mission, I just don't know how it happened._

Kiku comes to rest on the top of a building. Alfred is his friend. Kiku tries not to get involved with anyone in missions, but somehow this person has dragged him in and opened him up. Opened him to the joys of robbing people of steaks, spontaneous dancing, strange food and loud rock music. Unconsciously, he grins as he thinks of this. Alfred. Alfred F. Jones. Dirty blond hair, eyes blue as the skies. And Kiku's seen a lot of the skies.

And then, unbidden, an image forms in Kiku's mind. Alfred taking his hands. Alfred brushing dark strands of hair away from his face. Alfred leaning in. And those lips, those light pink, often cracked lips against his.

Kiku's eyes fly open. He takes an uneasy step forward, then trips over the edge of the building.

 _I'm falling._ He thinks vaguely as the air rushes past him. _Falling fast._

Two feet from the ground, he remembers he has wings and flaps them. He still lands rather hard, though.

The sight of blood on his scraped palms revives him from his stupor. He shakes himself, then struggles to his feet.

 _This can't be happening. Did I really just let myself think about that?_

And yet, Kiku isn't really that surprised. Perhaps he should have even seen it coming. He's had these secret, unaddressed feelings for weeks. It may have been subconsciously, but that's why he kept messing up on the mission. If he truly wanted the mission to succeed, it would have.

 _Enough about the mission._ It makes Kiku queasy to think of Alfred and Arthur together now. For a moment, he lets that blissful image enter his mind once more, then it's gone.

 _What does this mean?_ A thousand doubts, worries, and fears are clouding Kiku's mind. _What will happen to me if I complete the mission in spite of my feelings? And what if I don't do it? What about Elizabeta? And Roderich? And what would happen if I just couldn't help it?_

Kiku knows the answer to the last question. If he acted on his feelings, Alfred would reject him, God would find out and smite him. He would fall from Heaven, and have to live a mortal life full of fear and guilt. Death is not what he's afraid of, it's dying and going to hell.

He buries his head in his hands, tears pricking his eyes. _This isn't allowed. It's a sin. I'm an angel. He's a human. I can't even_ think _he's attractive. I can't even think it!_

After a few moments, Kiku sniffles and wipes his eyes. He doesn't know what time it is, but he should be getting back. He could use some sleep. Not that he'll be getting much after this revelation.

-oooo-

Kiku sighs. He's all alone in the college library's quiet study room- all alone except for his notes. They lie there on the table, seeming to taunt him with their headings of _Alfred and Arthur._

All Kiku really needs right now is quiet. He couldn't look Alfred in the face after his realization. He didn't talk to him in business, he didn't eat lunch with his group. He gave halfhearted excuses when Alfred asked what was wrong and avoided his gaze. And when Alfred gave up and started blasting music, he couldn't take it any longer.

He stands up, pushing his rather uncomfortable chair back. As he's stretching, the door opens to reveal Matthew.

"Hello, Kiku." He says pleasantly, closing the door behind him. "Studying?"

"Yes." Kiku replies, shutting his notebook. Matthew has a textbook under one arm, but other than that he doesn't have any study materials, not even a pencil.

"Empty rooms are ideal for studying." Matthew continues, setting down the textbook. Perhaps he's just trying to make conversation, but Kiku is unnerved. Something about his tone sends a shiver up Kiku's back. "Empty rooms are ideal for many things."

Kiku's about to sit back down when Matthew flies at him, grabbing his wrists and pinning him to the wall.

"Alright, listen." Matthew speaks quietly, but menacingly. He glares at Kiku, normally soft eyes flashing. Kiku tries to free himself from Matthew's grip, but he holds tight. "I know there's something going on here. You're not a college student. I don't know what you're here for, but I know it has something to do with my brother. I want to know the reason. So either you tell me what the _fuck_ is going on, or I make you."

Kiku's mouth hangs open. "Is that a threat?" He blurts.

"I'll let you think about it." Matthew says meaningfully. He releases Kiku, letting him slump against the wall as he grabs his textbook and leaves.

Kiku stumbles away from the wall, breathing heavily. He can feel his wings inside his back, moving around. With a deep breath, he stills them, then promptly falls into a chair.

That was close.


	11. Chapter 11

Kiku's had a rough week.

After his and Matthew's little chat, he was on edge whenever he was near the blond. Not that he acted hostile towards Kiku in the presence of Alfred and the Vargas brothers, quite the opposite. He was the picture of polite, even causing Alfred to comment on it. And God knew he wasn't the most observant person.

No, Matthew never did anything. It was just Kiku's anxiety, inner turmoil, and fear messing with his head. More than once during the week, Alfred has commented about how tense Kiku is. Kiku shrugs it off, but inwardly, he's terrified.

The whole situation he's in is terrifying: loving Alfred, disobeying the rules, on the cusp of being found out by Matthew. And, of course, there's still the unresolved issue of Elizabeta and the looming possibility of Gilbert visiting.

All the tension just makes him want to explode.

"Keeks, what's bugging you man, seriously?" Alfred asks, flipping through a comic book. Yes, a comic book. A grown man reading a Batman comic.

He's sprawled out on his bed, sock feet on the wall. His glasses are lying discarded beside him.

"It's nothing, Alfred, I told you I'm fine." Kiku replies. He's trying to make his voice sound light.

"Well, you're not." Kiku looks at him in surprise as Alfred puts down the comic book and rolls over onto his side. "I can tell something's up. So, you don't have to tell me, but maybe it would make you feel better if you did."

Kiku bites his lip. He wishes he could tell Alfred. "It would make me feel better, but I can't."

"Kiku, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Alfred shoves his glasses onto his face so he doesn't have to squint. "We're friends."

Kiku opens his mouth to reply, then closes it. He does this a few times before actually speaking. "Of course."

An awkward silence passes before Kiku stands up and gets his coat on.

"Where you goin'?" Alfred asks.

"Not far. I'll be back." With that, Kiku escapes the crushing uncomfortableness of the dorm.

He leaves the college, letting his feet decide where to go. They take him along the streets, eventually landing him at a local coffeeshop; the same one Elizabeta was at, the same one Alfred and Arthur met at.

He ponders going somewhere else, but he's cold and a little bit hungry, so he enters and orders a coffee.

Seating himself at a table- there is nothing sadder than a lone person in the corner of a coffeeshop- he takes a sip and sighs. The caffeine travels to his brain and starts to calm him down. He scans the shop, leaning back in his chair to make himself more comfortable. His gaze comes to rest on a familiar figure, and he starts, burning his tongue on his coffee.

Elizabeta is sitting only a few metres away. She's staring off into space, notebook in front of her, pen in hand.

Kiku gets up. "Elizabeta!" He calls, walking towards her.

She jumps a little and turns around. "Kiku! What a... Surprise." She fiddles with her pen.

"Evidently." Kiku says. "I thought you knew I was here. You know, you stalking my victim and all."

Elizabeta looks exhausted. Her sandy hair is pulled carelessly into a ponytail and she's slumped in her chair. Her eyes are all blurry, from sleepless nights. It's all adding up.

"What are you talking about?" She asks nervously.

"You were spying on Arthur a while ago." Kiku cocks his head and narrows his eyes.

"Oh, that. That wasn't for your mission, you know, it was for mine, just a background check on everyone my victim knows, regular procedure..." Elizabeta says breathlessly, standing up and grabbing her purse. "It was nice talking to you, Kiku, but I gotta get back to my own mission..."

Elizabeta walks away quickly, ignoring Kiku's calls of, "Hey! You forgot your notebook!" Or maybe she just doesn't hear him.

Kiku sighs, looking down at the little book. Her name is printed on the front in gold. A bookmark marks her spot. Kiku flips to the spot, his mouth dropping open when he sees the heading.

Francis and Arthur.

Shaking, Kiku picks up the notebook. He leafs through pages and pages of notes, documenting their history, their childhood rivalry, their quirks, their talents, all the reasons why they're perfect for each other. It's far more in-depth than the feeble sketches he's written up for Alfred and Arthur.

 _What is going on?_

-oooo-

Kiku sinks into the hot water, letting a small sigh escape his lips. A hot bath will calm him down.

After discovering that Elizabeta's mission was Francis and Arthur, he went back to the dorm, taking her notebook. Alfred had gone, so he went straight to the bathroom.

He settles into the bath more, letting the water massage the stress from his muscles. His eyes slip closed and for a moment, he just focuses on the noises around him: the gentle splish splash of the water, the wave and recede of cars rolling by outside, and the chattering of birds.

There's a pleasant feeling about having a bath during the day. Something about the daylight illuminating the water, instead of flickering lightbulbs. It could be the way he doesn't feel dirty at all, just cleansed. Or perhaps it's the lovely quiet surrounding him. It's not a silent quiet, it's the calm quiet of being peaceful in the midst of chaos.

Since Alfred is gone, he allows himself to pop his wings out. They come loose with a flourish, a few stray feathers floating on the bathwater. He wraps his wings around himself, sighing into the soft down.

Kiku needs to think. Nothing is making sense to him right now.

First off, Elizabeta's mission. Francis and Arthur? How did this happen? Never, never, never, ever in the history of heaven have two angels gotten conflicting missions. Either this is a glitch or some sort of new test, like he initially suspected.

But, now that he knows her mission contradicts his... Kiku allows himself, just for a split second, to feel a slight twinge of hope. If Elizabeta's mission succeeds, then what's to stop him from pursuing Alfred?

 _Get a grip,_ He thinks suddenly, snapping his eyes open and sitting up. _It simply isn't possible, and that's all there is to it._

But is it really so wrong? What exactly is so sinful about falling for a human? They might be simple creatures unaware of their own mortality, but they are strange, captivating, and wonderful. They are beautiful, happy, angry, passionate beings... Kiku gasps as he realizes, they're just like angels. Same form, same emotions, same triggers, same values.

If he and Alfred are essentially the same being, why is it so wrong?

He buries his face in his hands, swishing the bathwater as he sits up. _This isn't supposed to be this complicated!_

Kiku jumps at the he hears the door bang open. "Kiku?" Alfred calls.

Kiku retracts his wings and grabs a towel, stepping out and drying himself off hurriedly. "In here!" He responds, draining the tub. Slightly panicking, he notices a few stray feathers stuck in the drain, and snatches them up. He tosses them in the trash.

Redressing is unpleasant. It's as if everything he pondered in the bath is being smothered, smothered by a harsh and confusing reality. And when he opens the bathroom door, it's as if he is submerging himself in lies once again.


	12. Chapter 12

**Edit (03/20/16): I have remembered what it is I wanted to add onto the end of the chapter. Hence it is added.**

* * *

Kiku blows air out of his mouth irritably. He's in Art History class, listening to the teacher drone on and on, his monotone voice drilling into his throbbing temples. He's counting down the seconds until the class is dismissed. And now three, two, one...

There it is. A slight smile graces Kiku's porcelain features as the bell rings loudly. He slings his bag over his shoulder and leaves the classroom quickly, his legs pumping determinedly as he heads to the college library.

Since the previous day's tub-soak did nothing for his unresolved doubts, he's decided to go find Elizabeta himself. Throughout their partnership, she's always provided good, solid advice for him when he's needed it. Why would now be any different? Anyhow, it's not like he can talk to anyone else about this problem.

He crosses the dull, greying courtyard, whose grass is fading brown, to get to the library. Once inside, he walks to the back to find the huge stack of telephone directories and map booklets for college students who are new to the city. He opens up the most recent book and flips to the motel section.

In the past, whenever Kiku and Elizabeta needed to room separately, for any reason, one of them would take the first motel listed in the phone book, and the other would take the second. It's not guaranteed that he'll find her at either of the motels, but he needs to look for her. If this doesn't work, he doesn't know what he'll do.

He takes note of the first two motels listed, _The Red Motel_ and _The Exotic Escape._ Why these motels feel the need to make themselves sound classy, Kiku will never know. It's not like they're fooling anyone; everyone knows they're absolute shitholes by the side of highways.

It takes him forever to find The Red Motel. As expected, it's along the side of the highway, and, as the name suggests, its theme is red. The place stands out like a brick stop sign.

Once inside, Kiku's eyes begin to hurt from the overuse of the colour red. He asks at the front desk, and there's no one listed under the name Elizabeta Hedevary. Nor Elizaveta, or Elizabetha, or Elizabeth or even Erzebet.

So then he goes to find The Exotic Escape.

Like The Red Motel, it's on the side of a highway, and this one's theme is the jungle. Murals of jungle foliage cover the walls of the lobby. He asks at the front desk and yes, there's someone listed under Elizabeta. Room 211. He makes his way down the halls, the sounds of rustling leaves played from small speakers on the wall irking him. Once he reaches the room, he knocks three times in quick succession.

It's pulled open almost immediately by Elizabeta, whose smile fades upon seeing Kiku standing on the threshold of her motel room.

"I'm glad I found you." Kiku says awkwardly, holding out her notebook. "You forgot this."

She takes it from him in slow motion, sighing. "Come in." She offers. "I guess we need to talk."

Kiku enters. The motel room is immaculately clean. Elizabeta perches on the end of her bed while Kiku takes a chair.

"How did this happen?" Kiku starts. "Is this an experiment of some sort? Or am I just out of the loop in everything you and Mr. Edelstein plan?"

Elizabeta smiles weakly. "It is an experiment. An experiment on humans' emotions, to see, if presented with love for two different people, if they would be able to choose. Roderich told me everything. We weren't intentionally keeping you out of it, but... I think Roderich needed to tell someone. This experiment, it's huge. No angel can keep something this groundbreaking to themselves."

"That, and he's in love with you."

Elizabeta lets out a light, breathy laugh. Her eyes are glittering with a faraway look and a pink blush is dusted across her cheeks. Kiku grins, for once letting his doubts about his own love life slip away in the moment. Elizabeta looks a little embarrassed, but pleased as well, and just so happy.

"It still seems so surreal, even after all these centuries. I really never thought that this would happen." She muses, then suddenly snaps out of it. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure there's more. You didn't come here just for that lousy three sentences of an explanation." She smirks good-naturedly.

Kiku's own smile fades and a sick feeling swoops through him, settling in a pit in his stomach. He buries his head in his hands, and mumbles, "I'm in love."

Before Elizabeta can interrupt him with some sort of congratulatory statement, he continues. "With a human. Even worse, the subject of the groundbreaking experiment."

Kiku hasn't raised his head from his hands, but he hears the other angel's gasp of surprise. It's all quiet for a moment, then Elizabeta says, "Oh, dear."

"Yeah." More silence, and then Kiku speaks again. "What am I to do?"

Elizabeta seems dumbstruck, then swallows air. "Well," She seems to be racking her brains for a pearl of wisdom, "When you're praying for no strings, sometimes you get tied down."

"And that means?"

"You need to see this thing through. Whatever comes of it, you can't pretend it's not happening, because if you don't act, you'll regret it for eternity."

Kiku can't think of anything to say back to this. To fill the empty silence, Elizabeta speaks again.

"I wish I could tell you this will all turn out fine, but I truly don't know. I'm sorry, Kiku."

"It's alright." And he isn't lying. Just telling someone about the huge problem he's facing has made him feel a little bit better. So it is alright, because he knows, whatever he does, he'll have a fellow angel and friend to support him.

-oooo-

Kiku doesn't see Alfred again until later that night. When he got back from visiting Elizabeta, he was no where to be seen. So Kiku messed around on his laptop for a bit, writing an essay that was due in a week. A bit later, he decided he needed some fresh air, so he went for a walk. When he got back, Alfred was sitting on the steps leading up to the dorms, all alone.

Kiku sees him now, sitting on his own in the dim twilight. He has a certain air about him, his quiet speaks volumes. His head is upturned to the skies, and a cold wind blows his hair off his face. Kiku walks up to him and sits down.

"Hey, Keeks." His voice is quiet, much quieter than Kiku's ever heard him speak.

"Hey." He responds softly.

They're quiet for a bit.

"I'm getting a little worried." Alfred speaks up. For a moment, Kiku's stomach swoops, wondering if he'll bring up how strange he's been acting lately. Luckily, he doesn't. "About Matthew."

"Oh." Kiku merely says in return. He's glad Alfred isn't asking about him, but at the same time he feels a little bit let down.

"Have you noticed anything weird about him lately?"

"Uh," For a moment, Kiku considers telling him about the incident in the study room, but decided against it. "No."

"Maybe he's trying to hide it, but I can tell he's bothered by something. He's tense."

Kiku shifts on the stairs uncomfortably. He makes a move to stand up, but Alfred flings out an arm to stop him. He looks down at it, mildly surprised, then looks back at Alfred.

"Sit with me." He says. "I don't feel like going inside just yet."

Slowly, Kiku eases himself back down. He expects Alfred to move his arm, but he just lets it lie there.

The two sit there in silence until the only thing Kiku can hear is Alfred's snores.


	13. Chapter 13

**Once again, sorry for the long wait. -_- I'm terrible at this updating regularly thing. I made myself ship HunPan while writing this chapter,, but don't worry this is still an ameripan! Enjoy as always!**

* * *

Kiku wakes up, thankfully inside. His nose feels like it's stuffed with cottontails, and his head is aching. He turns his stiff neck to look at Alfred, out cold on his own bed.

Last night, after Kiku was frozen to the core, he tried to wake Alfred up so they could go inside. No dice. He poked him, shook him, said his name a couple times. In the end, he had to heave the sleeping man inside to their dorm, which was luckily near the entrance. How he managed to stay asleep for that entire time is a mystery to Kiku.

He gets up, stretching, and winces when he hears a few cracks. Today is Saturday, so Alfred can sleep in as long as he likes. After dressing and brushing his teeth, he opens his laptop to find an email from Elizabeta.

 _Kiku, I was going to stalk my victims today and I was wondering if you'd like to come along. It's only fair, since you didn't know about this mission up until yesterday. -Elizabeta._

Kiku shoots off a quick email back, agreeing for them to meet at Elizabeta's motel. He then stuffs some food in his mouth and runs out the door.

-oooo-

"Elizabeta, do you really think-"

"Sh! They're coming!"

Kiku reluctantly shuts his mouth, trying to ignore the itchy branches of the bush the two are crouching in. ELizabeta's in a camouflage suit, equipped with binoculars and and a spy camera. Kiku stands out like a sore thumb with his yellow t-shirt and jeans.

Francis and Arthur come stomping down the park path, bickering.

"Your cooking is horrible, Arthur." Francis is accusing. "Do you want to get fired?"

"It's not that bad, frog!" Arthur defends himself. "Bringing a few scones to work shouldn't get me fired!"

" _Mon Dieu,_ at least bring something good, like macarons!"

"Who likes macaroons? They taste like literal shit."

"Macarons, not macaroons! Get it right!"

Kiku cracks a smile as they continue arguing. Elizabeta stops filming when their voices fade out. She puts down the camera with a giggle.

"Come on, let's follow them." She deftly strips off her camouflage jumpsuit, revealing a regular shirt and pants underneath. You have to hand it to this woman, she never misses a beat.

Elizabeta puts her camouflage suit in her oversized handbag and the two emerge from the bush, Kiku swiping a few leaves out of his hair. They stroll casually behind Francis and Arthur, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"At least let me make you some macarons so you won't poison your coworkers."

"How come you're being nice to me?"

Francis shrugs. From the back, Kiku and Elizabeta can't see his face, so they can't gauge how he reacts to this question.

"Well if you got fired, you'd be destitute in a month and be begging me for food."

"Screw you, Francis." Arthur huffs.

"What do you think?" Elizabeta says quietly.

Kiku manages a small chuckle. "They argue like an old married couple already."

Elizabeta snickers.

"But in all seriousness, they've known each other for a long time, and have probably gone through a lot together, too. They act like they hate each other, but they'd be lost without someone to bicker with. I can see them arguing comfortably just before they share a kiss and both leave for work. I can see them spending the rest of their lives in constant battle. All's fair in love and war, and it works for them because it's both."

Kiku tips his head up to look at the puffy white clouds above them. The leaves on the trees around them are almost all gone.

"This is why you're the best at what we do." Elizabeta grins. He smiles back at her.

All of a sudden, the argument in front of them stops, and so do Francis and Arthur. Kiku and Elizabeta almost bump into them.

"Hold on," Arthur says, and turns around. Seeing Kiku, he smiles politely. "Kiku. I thought I heard a familiar voice."

"Hello, Mr. Kirkland." Kiku replies politely, though he's screaming inside.

"How did the rest of your internship go? I looked for you at the goodbye party last week, but I didn't see you." Arthur says.

"Oh, I was sick, I couldn't come." Kiku lies.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Elizabeta asks, as though she doesn't know perfectly well who they are.

"Er- yes. Right, sorry. Arthur, this is Eliza. Eliza, Arthur and...?" Kiku dips his head towards Francis.

"Francis." He supplies, taking Elizabeta's hand. "Pleasure."

"Nice to meet you two as well." Elizabeta tells the two men.

"Aspiring photographer?" Arthur asks, nodding towards the camera in Elizabeta's hands. She looks down at it in some surprise, as if only just remembering it's there.

"Birds." She tells him. "Find them with the binoculars, capture them with the camera."

"You two look very cute together, _cherie._ " Francis remarks.

Kiku is about to contradict him with Elizabeta slips an arm around him. "Thank you. We've only been together a few months, I think it'll be three next week." And with that, she leans forward and kisses him on the cheek.

Kiku smiles weakly as Arthur says, "I suppose we'll leave you then. It was nice seeing you again, Kiku."

Once they're gone, Elizabeta drops her arm and they step away. "Was that really necessary?" He asks, though not harshly.

"First rule of improv: Always say yes." She places the camera in her gigantic purse.

"I'll email you. See you later, Elizabeta." Kiku gives her a small wave before going back to the dorms.

-oooo-

Kiku's fingers fiddle with the fraying bedspread. Once again, an email is open, addressed to Gilbert. He knows he shouldn't be telling anyone about this, but that the same time, he doesn't care.

He begins to type.

 _Hey, Gil. I really need to talk to you right now, to just clear a few things up, and get a lot off my chest. Here goes. First of all, I've fallen in love with the target of my mission, Alfred. Yes, I'm aware of what this could mean. I sort of wish I didn't have the love vitamin in me, just like the humans. It would make this job easier, that's for sure. Second thing, I cornered Elizabeta about her mission. Well, it was more like I found out about it by mistake. Anyway, I know what it is. It's Arthur and Francis. Francis has been his Arthur's frenemy since childhood. This entire thing, as it turns out, is an experiment. An experiment, as to whether, if a human is presented with love for two different people, they would be able to choose. Now, Elizabeta has known from the start. Roderich told her. Before you ask, they're a couple now. Sorry, I know how much you really like her. Well, I guess I'm done ranting now. You don't have to email me back, or even read this at all. I feel a lot better having written it all down. -Kiku_

Twenty minutes later, he gets a reply.

 _Kiku, first off I'm just going to say damn. That's a lot of shit going on down there. And falling for this Alfred guy? Man, that's terrible. Like really super fucking bad. God could smite you. Although apparently he's really busy right now, so I don't know. Also, what the hell kind of an experiment is that? At least tell you so you know what you're getting into! Oh, and I_ _was kind of expecting Roderich and Elizabeta to get together. It's still shitty, but I saw it coming. About the Alfred thing, maybe you could tell him you have to move somewhere and communicate over email? Keep your relationship a secret, pop down there every once in a while between missions? Just a suggestion. Anyway, I gotta go, Kiku. Big album being set to release tomorrow, lots of work. Good luck! -The awesomeness that is Gilbert_

Kiku reads the email over a few times before shutting his laptop and sighing. Gilbert's advice only brings up mixed feelings. It's the best compromise he's going to get, but lying to everyone would make him guilt-ridden and uncomfortable. He just doesn't know what to do.


	14. Chapter 14

**I AM A TERRIBLE HORRIBLE PIECE OF SHIT PERSON FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER AGH I H8 MYSELF IM SO SORRY HERE U GO**

* * *

A few days later, Kiku gets it.

 _It._

 _The_ email.

The one that will decide his future.

His mission, should he choose to accept it, and all that.

He doesn't know, as he checks his email, what's waiting for him in his inbox.

He doesn't know, as he hovers over the email before clicking it, that this will change his perception of humans, love, and heaven.

It looks like a regular email. It's from Elizabeta. The subject is 'Frarthur'.

He presses down on the trackpad.

 _Click._

He opens the email.

And begins to read.

 _Kiku. I'll keep this short. I'm planning on administering the vitamin to Francis and Arthur today. You're welcome to come along. If you want to, meet me at Arthur's office at 18:00. -Elizabeta._

Kiku sighs and glances at Alfred, who's nodding his head along to whatever music is playing in his headphones. He's got a business assignment spread out in front of him, something Kiku is pretending to do.

He glances back at the email. He knows he's not going to finish his mission. He simply can't. So he might as well go along on Elizabeta's.

He shoots off a reply.

 _I'm In._

A life-changing moment. It doesn't feel like it, with Alfred murmuring random words from his music, the lack of a proper furnace making it as cold as the Arctic in their room, and Kiku's tiredness and stress kicking in.

"I was there to cover you, even when you ran." Alfred hums a coherent phrase, and on the word _ran,_ Kiku buries his face in his pillow.

"I'm taking a nap." Kiku says for no reason.

"What?" Alfred takes off his headphones, and Kiku can hear the music faintly.

"Nap. Me." Kiku spits out.

"Not a bad idea," Alfred stops his music, moves aside his project, and flops down as well.

Soon it's all quiet in the dorm, the sound of Alfred's heavy breathing filling the empty or as Kiku tries to figure out what song Alfred was singing as he drops off to sleep.

-oooo-

When Kiku wakes up from his nap, Alfred's already awake and continuing to work on his project. Once more, his headphones are on, and this time the music is so loud that Kiku can hear it clearly.

Alfred's eyes are closed, and he's whispering the words softly. Kiku rubs his eyes, staring at him affectionately.

Kiku looks at the clock beside his bed. 5:30.

Alfred's music is loud, and his whispered singing is growing from a mumble to a deep, loud voice.

Kiku grins and grabs his jacket, ready to go out.

"Bye..." He says to Alfred, but he doesn't hear him. His eyes are still closed, his voice is ringing out.

"You mean a lot to me, I wanna be your man!" He calls. Kiku chuckles softly and steps out of the door, shutting it on _man._

Kiku's smile remains on his face as he leaves the college.

He arrives at Arthur's workplace at exactly 6 PM. It seems Elizabeta was early, because she's already there, looking uncomfortable. As soon as she spots Kiku, her expression changes to one of relief.

"Kiku," She sighs, "Thank God, I was starting to feel really awkward just standing here."

"You got it?" Kiku asks in response, as though they're talking about a drug deal.

Elizabeta opens her purse and brings out a little white bottle of pills. She rattles it, smirking. "Right here." She puts the bottle back inside her purse and zips it up. "Nervous? Excited? Eager to get this mission over with?"

Kiku shrugs. "I don't know, to be honest. I just feel... Kind of removed right now. Isolated. From everything. Like none of this matters..." He trails off, realizing he's been expressing the emptiness that's been sitting in his gut in words. "Er, never mind."

"I feel like that sometimes too." Elizabeta murmurs. "Because Roderich isn't here."

The two of them are silent, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. What startles them out of it is the sound of the doors opening and Arthur's voice floating out.

"Shit!" Elizabeta hisses, grabbing Kiku's wrist and pulling him behind a corner. They peer around the wall to see Francis and Arthur standing just outside the building. And bickering, as usual.

"I told you my macarons would be a hit." Francis gloats.

"Alright, fine." Arthur concedes. "But why did you have to show up to _my_ work party to make sure people liked them?! I thought you were working today, anyway."

Francis waves a hand dismissively. "I got Lucille to cover for me."

Arthur shakes his head. "Whatever. I'll admit you weren't a total pain in the ass earlier." He drops his gaze and says quietly, "Thank you."

A small smirk crosses Elizabeta's face.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you!" Francis says smugly. Arthur swiftly glares at him.

"Shut it, I'm not saying it again." Arthur growls, and Francis laughs lightly.

After an awkward silence, Arthur says, "Well, I have to go home, so... Bye." He takes a step around Francis, but Francis holds up a hand.

"Wait." He asks, and Arthur looks back at him, curious. "Walk with me."

Kiku glances at Elizabeta. Her eyes are wide, but her smirk has only deepened. Kiku turns his attention back to Francis and Arthur.

"Why?" Arthur is asking suspiciously.

"Can't we take advantage of the fact that we're actually tolerating each other? This only happens once in a century." Francis is half-joking, but his eyes are fixed on a point somewhere past Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur shrugs, and wordlessly they walk on, their steps syncing in perfect, silent harmony.

"Have you thought about how we're going to get them to ingest the pills?" Kiku asks Elizabeta quietly as they stealthily trail Francis and Arthur.

"His macarons," She whispers, "There's a few leftover, and Arthur would be rude if he didn't give one to Francis. He did make them, after all."

"Couldn't you have gone into the party and spiked them then?" Kiku counters. He can't see how they're going to get ahold of those macarons to drug them.

"Too big of a risk. If one of them glanced at the wrong person, it'd be a big mess to clean up. Don't worry, we'll pull this off." Elizabeta seems confident, but Kiku's not so sure.

The two pairs walk in silence for a while, and Kiku observes the pair in front of him. The fading evening light is a fiery orange, like hot iron being welded, and that rich colour leaks into everything. It turns Francis' light flowing hair a dark gold and highlights his skin. The colour insects Arthur's drab suit, overlapping the slate-grey fabric with pale yellow. There's a spring in Arthur's step, but Francis seems a bit agitated, for all his cheery demeanour.

"I need to tell you something." Francis says out of the blue.

"Uh oh, what is it?" Arthur asks, confusion and nervousness written on his face.

Kiku and Elizabeta look at each other, both as curious as Arthur is to hear what Francis has to say.

"Not here," Francis whispers, and while Elizabeta and Kiku don't hear him, they know exactly what he said, since they can both lip-read.

With that, Francis abruptly crosses the street, leaving Arthur nothing to do but follow. Kiku and Elizabeta just stand there, staring after the two in mild shock.

"What now?" Kiku asks after a few seconds of silence.

"We have to follow them." Elizabeta says, but stays where she is.

"Right."

More silence.

"Now, or...?"

"Yes. Yeah, come on." Elizabeta grabs his wrist and drags him across the street, almost getting them run over. However, by the time they get to the other side, Francis and Arthur are nowhere to be seen.

"Well, shit."

"We should have followed them immediately."

"Shush, you."

Elizabeta whirls around for a few seconds, then starts walking in a direction randomly. Kiku follows. "Call me crazy, but I just have a hunch..." She mutters. Kiku, although confused, says nothing.

They wind up at the park. The same park they were at the other day, where the two angels stalked Francis and Arthur. It turns out Elizabeta's hunch was correct, because they find the two of them sitting on a bench in an abandoned area, talking quietly. They slip behind a tree to eavesdrop.

"What made you think I didn't care about you?" Francis asks. There's no hurt in his voice, just a soft kind of confusion.

"Because, well, after all these years, all the petty arguments and stupid stuff, I didn't think that you'd feel the same way." Arthur mutters. He's blushing hard, not looking at Francis.

Francis gently takes Arthur's chin and tips his head so that they look each other in the eye. Emeralds stare into sapphires.

"Je t'aime." He whispers. And because Arthur still doesn't seem to get it, he kisses him. One soft kiss is all it takes to convince Arthur.

Kiku hears himself gasp, but thankfully it's muffled by Elizabeta's hand. She's covering her own mouth, eyes wide in shock. They stare. They just keep staring, long after the kiss has been broken and laughs have been awkwardly shared. They stare and stare and stare, until Francis and Arthur get up and leave, breaking the spell on the two angels.

"What just happened?" Kiku breathes, after a long silence.

"Something impossible." Elizabeta answers.

-oooo-

Kiku arrives back at his dorm late. His feet are sore from walking around, his eyes burn every time he closes his eyes. He leans up against the wall, sliding down to sit in front of his door. He looks up at the number, and the _178_ swims in his vision.

Something must have happened. Elizabeta's hand must have slipped, dropped a pill into some of those scones, and the two of them happened to be looking at each other while eating it. That has to be it. How could it be anything else? Humans can't fall in love on their own, that's why they need the vitamin given to them, so that it can enter their bloodstream and make its way to the heart. Kiku's entire purpose as an angel is to make humans fall in love. If they could fall in love on their own, he would be useless. Meaningless. His life would be a lie.

His life is a lie.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Kiku feels tears pooling in his eyes, and desperately wipes them away with the back of his hand. He feels like a child, crouched on the floor crying. This thought makes him gather his dignity and stand up to open his dorm room door.

When he does, he wishes he didn't.

Alfred is in inside, sitting on his bed. His normally jubilant face has a serious expression on it. "Kiku," He says, "I was waiting for you."

"You were?" Kiku says, shutting the door behind him and attempting to keep his cool.

"I have to tell you something." Alfred responds.

Kiku's stomach does a flip, and he feels like running away, but he walks over and sits down beside Alfred.

"I like you... A lot." Alfred says. He looks nervous. Dread slowly fills Kiku's stomach, like water being poured into a pitcher. The space between his shoulder blades starts tingling, and he knows they want to unfurl. "I like you more than I should. More than a friend."

This is it. Kiku's face is heating up, his back is aching. He's overwhelmingly happy, but very worried... Very worried indeed.

Alfred leans in, kissing Kiku. The moment their lips touch, it sends a wave of emotions to Kiku's brain. His spine feels doubled up, the pain immense. He can feel them, pushing up against his skin, about to break free.

He manages to break the kiss, stumble away. He can't hold them in any longer. His breath comes in gasps.

Alfred's eyes fill with tears. Kiku knows he has to say something.

"I-I'M NOT HUMAN!" He shrieks, and with an agonizing cry, the wings burst from his back.


	15. Chapter 15

**I wanted to put a lot more dialogue in this chapter, but it was getting pretty long so I just found a nice place to end it. Maybe next chapter.**

* * *

If someone was observing the scene that played out in Alfred and Kiku's dorm that night, they wouldn't believe their eyes.

Two men, staring at each other, one in total shock, the other blushing out of anxiety.

A pair of ink black wings, darker than midnight, spread majestically through the air. The feathers lifted slightly, as though there was a wind in the room. A sticky substance settled on them, like drops of honey.

Two pairs of eyes open wide, looking at each other, never breaking their gaze. One pair, blue as the deepest ocean, filled with confusion and disbelief. The other pair, a warm, dark chocolate, filled with pure fear.

The air in the room seems to have lost all its oxygen and dropped twenty degrees. Neither breathes, neither moves. Kiku feels like the frozen silence is suffocating him.

"Let me explain." He blurts out. Alfred just stares.

"Yes, please do." Alfred whispers after a few long seconds.

Kiku takes a deep breath, then retracts his wings again. They fold in with a flourish, sending sticky drops all over the room. Alfred's mouth is hanging open. Kiku sits down beside Alfred, then braces himself to tell the truth.

"I'm an angel." He says, not looking at Alfred. He's looking at the bedsheets, twisting them around his fingers. "A love angel, to be exact."

"Like a Cupid?" Alfred asks faintly.

"Yes. My job is to make two humans fall in love, using these." Kiku crosses the room, picks up his bag, and takes out the bottle of pills. He hands them to Alfred, who takes them with a shaking hand. "They're love pills. You see, in Heaven we believe that the human body is incapable of making the vitamin by itself. That's where we come in. We administer them to the humans, and if the two are looking at each other as the vitamin enters their bloodstream, they'll fall in love."

Kiku pauses, not wanting to admit the next part to Alfred. But he deserves the truth, so he forces himself to speak.

"You were one of my assignments." Kiku says, feeling his blush deepen. "You and-"

"Arthur." Alfred says, the realization dawning on him. "That's why you pushed me to get together with him for coffee. Was he even invited to that party?"

"No." Kiku sighs. Alfred buries his head in his hands. Kiku, unsure if he's crying or not, waits until he lifts his head.

"What went wrong?" Alfre whispers, clutching the bottle of pills a little too tightly.

"It's an experiment. An experiment I wasn't aware of. My partner, Elizabeta, she got a different assignment than me. This was our first time working on our own. But her assignment was Arthur and someone else. It's an experiment to see if humans can choose who to love, if presented with two people." Kiku gulps. "Since you and Arthur failed, we went ahead with Arthur and Francis."

There's quiet for a while. Kiku knows Alfred needs time to process it, but there's more to tell.

"But something happened." Alfred turns his head to Kiku upon hearing these words. "They got there before us. Francis and Arthur. They confessed before we could even administer the vitamin. And now you've confessed. I don't know how this is possible, but for some reason you three are able to love without the vitamin."

Alfred and Kiku are completely silent. After five minutes that seem like five hours, Kiku gets up and changes his shirt, as the one he was wearing is ripped at the back. "I'm gonna go. To let you process this." As Kiku turns to leave, Alfred can see there's a hole cut in the back of his shirt for his wings. "Besides," Kiku murmurs to himself, "Talking to you right now would be too much."

The door shuts. Alfred is left alone in the room.

He sits there for a moment or two, unable to think. Then movement catches the corner of his eye, and he turns his gaze towards the window.

He can see Kiku outside, standing on the field in the dark. As Alfred watches, Kiku's wings pop out again, and he takes off into the air.

Kiku stays out all night. Alfred spends the night trying to sleep and failing.

Neither of them knows, but each of them are wondering, _will my life ever be the same?_

-oooo-

Kiku sits on the edge of a building, watching the sun come up. His legs are dangling off the side and his wings are spread out fully. His eyes are drooping.

Kiku stayed out all night, flying out of anxiety. He wasn't very careful about not being spotted, but he doesn't care. He spent the night thinking and wondering, turning over every single bit of information in his mind, until it was all a confused jumble and he had to rest.

So now he sits on the end of the building, almost falling off the edge. He wonders what he should do now. Obviously Elizabeta will want t know this latest development. He decides he'll go find her, but a bit later in the morning, when she has woken up. For now, he'll just sit.

It seems like only a few seconds later when a voice calls from behind him, "Hey! Are you okay over there?"

Kiku's eyes snap open. His wings are crumpled beneath him, his limbs are twisted at awkward angles. He hurriedly retracts his wings before sitting up. He squints in the midmorning sun to see a man standing on the other side of the building's roof. He seems to be doing some work on the skylight.

"I'm fine." Kiku calls, standing up unsteadily. It turns out he fell asleep with one leg off the side of the building. No wonder the man is worried.

Kiku is politely grateful as the man lets him enter the building through the broken skylight. He stops Kiku just before he climbs down the ladder the man used to get up there.

"Don't do it." He says quietly. "There's always a reason to live. Trust me."

"I'll remember that." Kiku replies softly, touched by his kindness.

Kiku leaves the building, resigning himself to walk all the way to Elizabeta's. Flying isn't an option at this point, as he would most certainly be seen. So he walks, his mind lingering on Alfred's look of shock from the night before.

He reaches Elizabeta's crappy motel slower than he likes, but no matter. He's here now. He walks inside and down the hall to her room. He knocks, but there's no answer. Kiku waits a moment, then tries the doorknob. It's unlocked.

He opens the door to see Elizabeta sitting on the couch, and Gilbert, of all people, sitting beside her, leaning in to kiss her.

"Kiku!" She calls to him, scooting away from Gilbert. He turns around, disappointment in his eyes.

"Hey, Kiku!" Gilbert grins, getting up to greet him. "What's going on?"

"I should be asking you that." Kiku replies. "Are you even allowed to be down here?"

"Well, I , uh... I came down here to check up on you guys!" He explains.

Elizabeta mutters something that Gilbert glares at her for. However, Kiku doesn't catch it.

"Every time I come down, Earth is so different." Gilbert comments. "How do you guys manage?"

"We do our job." Elizabeta shrugs curtly. She turns to Kiku. "How come you came here?"

"I, er..." Kiku trails off, then sits down, taking a deep breath. "So, you know how I love Alfred? Well, he returns those feelings. All on his own. Like Francis and Arthur."

"Wait, I think I'm missing something here." Gilbert says, looking between the two of them confusedly. Kiku stares at the wall unhappily as Elizabeta gives him the abbreviated version of the story.

"Wow." Is Gilbert's reaction. "Have you told Roderich?"

"No. But we should." Elizabeta bites her lip.

Kiku runs a hand through his hair worriedly. He doesn't want to tell Roderich. At least, he doesn't want to tell him about Alfred.

"Well, I'm dying to meet the guy." Gilbert says, cutting into Kiku's thoughts. "Where's the college?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kiku tells him hurriedly.

"At least show me the place." Gilbert wheedles.

"Alright." Kiku agrees reluctantly, and they leave.

The two take public transit to get back to Roundview. After a few moments of awkward silence, Gilbert starts a normal enough conversation, and Kiku finds the time slipping away. Once there, Gilbert acts like a child at a candy shop, exploring the place with red eyes wide as saucers. Kiku doesn't understand why this is so fascinating to him, but he doesn't comment on it.

They're in the library when Kiku hears his name being called. The voice that's calling his name makes his stomach sink from guilt.

Kiku turns around to see Matthew, flanked by the Vargas brothers.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Matthew asks, looking pissed.

"Uh, okay." Kiku coughs, then takes a breath to try and calm his roiling stomach.

"Just you." Matthew clarifies, and Kiku feels a spark of anger shoot through him.

"Anything you want to say to me can be said in front of Gilbert." He declares.

Matthew slumps. His annoyance is gone. What's left is a sort of crushed sadness, rather like despair. All of a sudden he looks much older than he is, and he takes off his glasses to rub his face tiredly. Kiku is startled by this change, and thinks perhaps he judged Matthew too harshly.

"It's Alfred." Announces Matthew, sinking into a chair.

Of course, Kiku thinks guiltily.

"He's been holed up all day in his dorm. He won't come out or talk to anyone. The most I got out of him is 'the world is ending'." Matthew sighs.

"Cynical bastard." Lovino mutters.

"Can you talk to him? Please?" Matthew asks Kiku.

"Of course." Kiku gets up to leave.

"I'll keep your friends company while you're gone." Gilbert says, a shit-eating grin already on his face. Kiku forces a chuckle, then leaves.

He walks slowly towards his dorm, with each step the weight on his shoulders increasing. By the time he reaches the door, he just wants to sink to the floor and disappear. He raises his hand, it feeling heavy as lead, and knocks.

"Alfred, it's me." He calls softly. Footsteps can be heard on the other side of the door, then the doorknob is rattling. Kiku steps back as the door is opened.

Alfred is still in his clothes from the day before. His glasses aren't on his face and his eyes look tired and watery. Even his cowlick droops.

Kiku steps in without a word, and Alfred shuts the door behind him. There's a beat of silence.

Then Kiku steps forward to hug him. Alfred looks surprised, but when Kiku wraps his arms around Alfred's middle, he returns the hug tenfold. Kiku can feel Alfred's warm breath on his neck as he presses his cheek against Kiku's hair. Kiku closes his eyes and lets himself relax in Alfred's arms.

They stand there like that for a few minutes, until Alfred pulls away and walks into the bathroom. Kiku follows, and sees Alfred standing in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.

"What's going to happen?" He asks. His voice cracks on the second word.

Kiku thinks for a moment, then speaks. "If God finds out, I'll become human."

"Is that a bad thing?" Alfred walks away from the mirror, sitting on the edge of the tub. Kiku joins him.

"If I'm human, that means I'll die at some point." Kiku sighs heavily. "I'm not afraid of death, it's going to hell I'm afraid of. Because that's where we'll both go."

"There's always a catch." Alfred replies miserably. "Is there any way around it?"

"Well, sometimes angels can become human for other reasons. Like if they're no longer needed." An idea begins to dawn on Kiku. "Elizabeta succeeded in her mission. I didn't."

Alfred turns his head towards Kiku, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

"Maybe they were planning to fire the person whose mission failed anyway." Kiku continues. "And if I'm not needed anymore, I can become human. And go to Heaven when I die."

"Are you really sure?" Alfred whispers. "I mean, you're giving up immortality. For what? I'm not worth it."

Kiku leans in and presses his lips to Alfred's. Just like the hug, he wasn't expecting it. But as Kiku nudges him with his lips, Alfred dips his head and moves his lips in sync with Kiku. Alfred puts his hand on Kiku's jaw and pulls him in, just as he slips his tongue into the kiss. It's been so long since Kiku kissed someone like this, and he finds himself smiling into it. Alfred nips at his lips and Kiku actually laughs, putting a hand on Alfred's waist. He pulls away, smiling.

"Of course you are." Kiku tells him, making Alfred smile.

"Where's Mattie?" Alfred stands up, wincing as a few joints crack. "I want to apologize. I didn't mean to worry him."

Kiku stands up as well. "In the library."

"Well, let's go." Alfred takes Kiku's hand, and now it's Kiku's turn to be surprised.


	16. Chapter 16

**This is short but whatever. The story's going to wrap up in a few chapters anyway.**

* * *

First day back at the office after a mission is always hard. There's always angels asking questions, always curious glances and muttered rumours. Kiku experiences all of these and more as he walks down the rows of cubicles to Roderich's office. He keeps silent the entire way while Elizabeta, by his side, tries to tell people to piss off in the politest way possible.

Eventually, after wading through Heracles' cat army, they reach Roderich's office and Kiku knocks. Roderich calls, "Come in," right away, so the two enter.  
"The mission went well, I expect?" Roderich asks casually, not having turned around yet. His hands are clasped behind his back, and he's looking out the window.

"Sort of." Elizabeta replies. "Alfred and Arthur failed."

Roderich turns around now, doing a double take when he sees Kiku in the room as well.

"It's all right. He knows." Elizabeta assures him.

"I thought I told you not to tell anyone?" Roderich questions.

"He figured it out by himself." She tells him. Roderich seems satisfied with this answer, and allows Elizabeta to lean forward and give him a kiss.

"What now?" Kiku asks. "My mission failed. What repercussions do I have to face?"

"None, I don't think." Roderich frowns. "You'll continue working together, same as before."

Kiku and Elizabeta exchange a look.

"Roderich," Kiku starts, "What I'm about to say cannot leave this room."

And so he tells him. It doesn't take long, a few minutes at the most, and with occasional interjections from Elizabeta, he gets the full story.

"Well," Roderich sighs heavily, sitting at his desk, "This isn't good."

"You can't do anything about it?" Kiku asks. "It would be perfectly in your responsibility to fire me."

"I know, but I can't authorize that." Roderich takes off his glasses. "This was supposed to be a very discreet operation. The person whose mission failed was to be told they were pardoned, and no further action was to be taken until the data had been analysed."

"How long will that take?" Inquires Kiku, a spark of hope beginning to rise within his chest.

"A few days. A week at the most." Roderich tells him.

"Well, when they get back with the data, could you please do me a favour and fire me?"

Roderich looks at him with an amused smirk. "I swear, this is the only time anyone will ever ask me to fire them."

At that precise moment, the door to the office bangs open and in runs Gilbert, obviously having heard everything the three said. "Wait a minute, Roddy!" He yells, seemingly not caring if anyone else hears him. "Fire me, too!"

Flabbergasted, Roderich merely mumbles, "Scratch that, then."

"Shut the door, you imbecile." Elizabeta hisses, pulling Gilbert by his elbow. He kicks it shut, earning a glare from Roderich.

"Wait, what?" Kiku asks his friend. "Why do you want to get fired?!"

To everyone's surprise, a bit of red starts to colour Gilbert's normally colourless cheeks. "Well, you know… Humans are interesting! And especially Matthew." He says this last sentence very quietly.

"Matthew." Kiku repeats. "You want to give up being an angel for just another fling?"

"It's not just another fling. It was love at first sight." Everyone stares at Gilbert incredulously as his red eyes glaze over. "He has the nicest skin, the nicest curls…"

Roderich coughs to clear away the awkward aura. "Unlike Kiku, I actually have no problem with firing you, Gilbert."

"Wow, thanks, Roddy."

"But I'm still not sure if it's allowed. I'll ask after they've analysed the data."

Content with that answer, Kiku and Gilbert leave, much to Roderich's relief.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kiku whispers as they walk through the office cubicles. "It's stupid, you just met him two days ago."

"You only met Alfred a couple months ago." Gilbert counters. "That's not a long time, either."

"Still longer than two days! What is this, a Disney movie?"

"Kiku, it's not just that." Gilbert stops in the middle of the room and turns to face his friend, grasping Kiku's shoulders with his pale fingers. "It's about me."

"When has it ever not been?" Kiku asks drily.

"Let me finish!" Says Gilbert earnestly. "I never wanted this. I never wanted so much responsibility! Me, an angel of music? Let's be real, who the hell made that decision?"

"Probably God."

"But being an angel of music has given me a taste of what the humans have – adventure! Excitement! Freedom! Creativity! I crave these things. And I've wanted them for so long. I just want to get out of this damn office and live a life full of excitement and creativity and love and regret. A very human one. Because I'd rather live the way I want to, even if it's short. Living forever isn't worth it if you're bored and lonely. So basically," Gilbert winks, "Yolo."

"Did you really just end that whole speech with 'yolo'?"

Clapping from a nearby cubicle distracts Gilbert from responding. Heracles is applauding lazily, the six cats surrounding him seeming annoyed by the sudden noise.

"You could be a philosopher, Gilbert." Heracles tells him through a yawn.

"Why thank you, m'lady." Gilbert tips an imaginary Fedora. Kiku rolls his eyes, but he's smirking.

"Want some Doritos and Mountain Dew?"

"I have no idea what you're saying to me right now."

-oooo-

Kiku arrives at his home feeling exhausted, in both body and mind. Secrets really take it out of him. All he wants to do is curl up on his bed and pass out.  
A ding from inside his briefcase derails this plan. He's received an email.

Kiku sits on his bed, pulling the covers over his leaden legs and opening his briefcase. He opens his laptop, logs into his email, and smiles.

 _Dear Kiku,_

 _Has it only been a few days since we saw each other last? It feels like it's been much longer. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing, but you said you were going to get fired? How did that go? Also, how's your friend… Gilbert, wasn't it? Mattie was pretty embarrassed that we caught the two of them, haha. Speaking of, he's been asking about Gilbert. I told him you and Gilbert had to go somewhere for a couple days, and now he thinks you two are a thing. I want to tell him so badly, but I know he won't believe me. At least I've got you to confide in. In other news, it's gotten worse in the dorm, and the heater still hasn't been fixed, so it's cold as ice in here. But I'm not complaining, because the thought of you keeps me warm. Wow, that sounded a lot creepier than I intended it to. But I do think about you constantly. I hope this all works out._

 _Love you,_

 _Alfred._

Kiku grins despite being half-asleep, and starts to type a reply.

 _Dear Alfred,_

 _I haven't gotten fired yet, but I'm crossing my fingers. You see, Roderich, the manager of this department of angels, told me they have to analyze the data from the experiment before taking action. So I won't be getting fired for another week at the most. Gilbert's doing alright, I guess. You actually should probably tell Matthew the truth, because Gilbert wants to get fired too. I'm extremely surprised at how serious he is about Matthew, but apparently he's wanted to become human a long time before meeting him. Besides, Matthew deserves to know the truth. He knows I'm not really a college student, has known for a while. I guess I owe him an explanation. Heh, I'm glad you're warm, but I think a blanket would be of more use than me. I think of you a lot as well. Hopefully this week will pass quickly so I can see you again._

 _Love,_

 _Kiku._

Kiku shuts his laptop and places it on his bedside table. Alfred may reply soon, he may not. For now, he needs sleep.

In fact, he's sure Alfred must need some as well. After all this excitement and confusion, it must be hard to rest.

 _Sweet dreams, Alfred,_ He thinks, just before falling asleep himself.


End file.
